title: Dependence of the thermal conductivity of two-dimensional graphite nanoplatelet-based composites on the nanoparticle size distribution.
abstract: We report the thermal conductivities of graphite nanoplatelet-epoxy composites prepared by exfoliation of natural graphite flakes of varying lateral sizes. We found that utilization of natural graphite flakes of the optimum lateral dimensions (∼200-400 µm) as a starting material for exfoliation significantly enhanced the thermal conductivity of the composite. In order to understand this enhancement we developed a procedure for evaluation of the particle size distribution of graphite nanoplatelets and correlated the measured distributions with the resulting thermal conductivities. In order to expand the scope of our study we applied our statistical and thermal analysis to commercially available graphite nanoplatelet materials.
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Department of Chemistry, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
authors.forename: Xiaobo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Palanisamy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ramesh
authors.forename: Mikhail E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Itkis
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bekyarova
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Haddon
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature; D013814:Thermal Conductivity
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D006108:Graphite